The cast ofRob Peacehelped bring the true story of Robert DeShaun Peace to the screen, and they worked together quite well.Rob Peacerecently reached the top 10 list onNetflix’s best movies list, and there are a few reasons the biographical film has gained so much popularity. It tells a heartbreaking true story about injustice and a young man who died too early, and its emotional plot likely spoke to a lot of viewers. GivenRob Peace’s reviewsand its 94% audience score onRotten Tomatoes, viewers definitely empathized with Rob.
The main reasonRob Peace’s story resonated so well is because of its star-studded cast. From Oscar-nominated actors to Grammy-winning singers, almost everyone who was involved inRob Peaceis at the top of their field. Several of them have gone on to even more projects afterRob Peaceas well, so there’s a chance they’ll be recognized from other notable movies and TV shows. Getting to know the people who madeRob Peacehappen is both interesting and important.
Jay Will As Rob Peace
Date Of Birth: Unknown
Actor: Jay Will was born in Greenville, South Carolina.Will had his first major acting role inBuffed Up!: The Movie, where he played Zay. Since then, his most prominent role by far has been Tyson Mitchell, where he joinedthe cast ofTulsa Kingalongside Sylvester Stallone. He’s also had a supporting role inThe Marvelous Mrs. Maiseland the 2024 movieIt Doesn’t Matter. Jay Will is also a professional rapper.
Buffed Up!: The Movie
Zay
Character: Jay Will plays the eponynmous character inRob Peace. Rob went by Shaun, based on his middle name, DeShaun, for the early parts of the film. The movie follows Rob in the early days of his college career as he tries to free his father, Skeet, from prison by turning to drug dealing to raise money.
Mary J. Blige As Jackie Peace
Date Of Birth: June 21, 2025
Actor: Mary J. Blige was born in The Bronx, New York City, New York.Blige’s breakthrough role was inRock of Ages, where she starred alongside Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, and Alec Baldwin. She was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her part inMudbound. However, Blige is much more well-known for her musical career. Blige has won nine Grammys, she had six separate top 10 hits on Billboard, and she’s been called the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.”
The Umbrella Academy
Cha-Cha
Character: InRob Peace, Mary J. Blige plays the titular character’s mother, Jackie Peace. Jackie is a loving and protective mother who fights anything that gets in the way of Rob’s success, including Skeet.
Chiwetel Ejiofor As Skeet Douglas
Date Of Birth: June 30, 2025
Actor: Chiwetel Ejiofor was born in Fort Gate, London, England, United Kingdom.Ejiofor’s breakthrough role was in12 Years a Slave, where he starred as Solomon Northup, a role that earned him an Oscar nomination. Since 2013, Ejiofor has appeared in several major franchises - he played Modor inDoctor Strangeand Strickland inVenom: The Last Dance- as well as smaller movies and shows. Ejiofor also wrote and directedRob Peace, which was his fourth time tackling both the script and direction of a film.
Rob Peace Interview: Chiwetel Ejiofor Explains His Approach To Telling The Powerful True Story
Rob Peace filmmaker & star Chiwetel Ejiofor discusses the thematic core of the story, his collaboration with Jay Will, and his excitement for Venom 3.
12 Years a Slave
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Trywell Kamkwamba
Character: InRob Peace, Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Skeet Douglas, Rob’s father. Skeet’s imprisonment was the catalyst for Rob’s downward spiral, as he had to raise money to free his father from prison.
Camila Cabello As Naya Vazquez
Date Of Birth: June 20, 2025
Actor: Camila Cabello was born in Havana, Cuba.Cabello’s breakthrough acting role was in the 2021 live-action remake ofCinderella, where she played the eponymous Disney princess. Like Mary J. Blige, however, Cabello is much more known for her musical career. Cabello was a member of Fifth Harmony from 2012 to 2016, when she left to begin her solo career. Since then, she has become an international sensation with two number one hits on the Billboard chart since her 2018 song “Havana.”
Rob Peace
Naya Vazquez
Character: InRob Peace, Camila Cabello plays Naya Vazquez. Naya was Rob’s classmate at Yale and his love interest throughout the film.
Rob Peace Supporting Cast & Characters
Curt Morlaye as Tavarus Heston: Curt Morlaye plays Tavarus Heston inRob Peace. Tavarus was a longtime friend of Rob who grew up to enter the real estate business. Morlaye is known for small roles in shows likeCity on a HillandGotham.
Caleb Eberhardt as Curtis Gamble: Caleb Eberhardt plays Curtis Gamble inRob Peace. Curtis was one of Rob’s childhood friends from his neighborhood. Eberhardt is known forBlack ChristmasandJudas and the Black Messiah.
Michael Kelly as Father Leahy: InRob Peace, Michael Kelly plays Father Leahy. Father Leahy taught Rob at St. Benedict’s Prep School. Kelly is mostly known for playing government agent characters in films likeMan of Steel, andNow You See Meand shows likeLioness.
Mare Winningham as Professor Durham: Mare Winningham plays Professor Durham inRob Peace. Professor Durham acted as something of a role model to Rob and helped him navigate the challenges of attending Yale. Winningham is known for her roles inSt. Elmo’s FireandGeorgia.
Cast
Rob Peace is a biographical drama written and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor and was released in 2024. Based on the biography by Jeff Hobbs, Rob Peace follows the titular man who grew up in a life of poverty and crime in New Jersey but still managed to attain an Ivy League education at Yale while making money selling marijuana on the side.
